Differences between taiwanese and U.S. cultural beliefs about ideal adult attachment

Some researchers believe that important tenets of attachment theory are culturally universal, whereasothers claim that key constructs are rooted in Western values and should not be generalized further. Toexplore possible cultural differences in adults, undergraduates from Taiwan ( n 280) and the UnitedStates ( n 268) were asked in the present study to complete a self-report measure of adult attachment,the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (K. A. Brennan, C. L. Clark, & P. R. Shaver, 1998), as theybelieved “an ideally emotionally and psychologically healthy person of your own gender in your culture”would respond. Findings suggested significant differences by cultural group, gender, and Gender Culture interactions. Taiwanese women and men endorsed more avoidance in beliefs about ideal adultattachment than their U.S. counterparts, and Taiwanese men endorsed more anxiety than U.S. men. Thesecultural differences were not explained by group differences in independent and interdependent self-construal.Keywords: adult attachment, cross-cultural comparison, gender differences, individualism, collectivism

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